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Abstract

The Swisswingʼ Biomechanical Stimulation Device has been previously used to treat muscle soreness. It is a form of vibration therapy that is beneficial in increasing circulation to treated muscles. Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of the Swisswingʼ Biomechanical Stimulation device for decreasing biochemical markers of muscle damage and inflammation and muscle pain after acute exercise in professional male soccer players. Methods: Seventeen male professional soccer players, aged 20.9 + or - 2.4 years participated in a two-week study to determine the effects of receiving treatment with the Swisswingʼ Biomechanical Stimulation Device. The players were randomly assigned to groups A, B, C, or D to determine the order in which they would receive treatment. During the first week, half of the group received a 4-minute warm-up treatment prior to practice and a 32-minute treatment immediately following soccer practice for five consecutive days. The following week, those who received treatment served as a control and those in the control group received treatment. Creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured prior to practice daily, except on day 1 when levels were also measured immediately following practice. Lactic acid (LA) and perceived pain were measured pre- and post-practice as well as post-treatment. Results: There was no significant difference between treatment and control groups for LA, CK, and CRP. LA increased from pre- to post-workout and then declined post-treatment for both groups. Daily LA accumulation was also greatest on day 1 for both groups. CK levels increased above baseline until day 4 and then spiked again on day 5 for both groups. CRP increased steadily for the control group, while the treatment group experienced a decline on day 4. However, these differences were not significant. Post-treatment perceived pain was significantly lower for the treatment group (1.4) versus control (2.9). This difference was significant across the five days (p=.036) and specifically